The 2nd József Attila Poetry and Prose Recitation Contest in England

St. Stephen’s House, London, April 21, 2018

The Association of Hungarian Reciters in England held the 2nd József Attila Poetry and Prose Recitation Contest on April 21, 2018, at St. Stephen House in London. Out of 32 applicants, a total of 30 contestants competed on this notable day for prestigious prizes and awards.

The event was opened by Radnóti Award-winning performer Beáta Verbászi, Chair of the Jury. In her welcome speech, she emphasized that poetry recitation—and through it, the nurturing of the Hungarian language—holds special significance for the Hungarian community living in the United Kingdom. She highlighted the need to consciously promote poetry among young people, as literary sophistication is increasingly rare in the world of mainstream communication.

She also spoke with joy about the growing number of Hungarian schools in England joining the recitation movement, and noted that educators and parents play a key role in motivating and preparing the children. As a long-term goal, she identified the establishment of local recitation workshops where regular sessions could prepare performers for contests and other cultural events.

Members of the Jury:

Beáta Verbászi – Radnóti and Kaleidoscope Award-winning performer, Chair of the Jury
Tamás Varga – Actor, associate of the Vojvodina Hungarian Cultural Institute
Dr. János Sándor Horváth – Winner of the 2017 József Attila Award of England

The competition program was held in two rounds: first, the contestants in the Children and Youth categories took the stage, followed by the performances of the Adult category after a coffee and cake break.

During the lunch break, participants were treated to Hungarian dishes while the jury deliberated to evaluate the performances.

As part of the Gala Program, attendees watched recordings of the most successful performers from the 2018 „Versünnep” (Festival of Poetry). This served as inspiration and professional guidance for the amateur reciters, demonstrating how professional performers in the mother country utilize their artistic toolkit.

In their brief but meaningful evaluation, the jury praised the preparation and commitment of the contestants, emphasizing that the quality of the performances would hold their own in any competition field in Hungary. The jury’s assessment was followed by the announcement of the winners and the distribution of prizes offered by the sponsors.